The requirement for restraint devices, such as seat belts and the like is mandatory in most states of this country, including devices for the restraint of an infant or young child.
Typically, such child restraint devices are constructed for them to be attached to the back of an automobile seat, and secured in position by the existing seat belts, or by ancillary belts that have been provided for that specific purpose. Such devices constitute an inconvenience to the user of the automobile, in that the device must be removed and stored if the automobile seat is to be used by an adult. Also, the occasion arises that the child restraint is required, but, the child restraint has been stored at some other location and is not readily available for use. Additionally, storage of the child restraint in the trunk of the automobile can constitute a source of inconvenience, in that it restricts the amount of available trunk space.
Structures have been proposed in which the child restraint is formed integrally with the back of an automobile seat, and, which can be extended for use by a child or infant, and then folded back into the seat back to enable the automobile seat to be used by an adult. Examples of such constructions of child restraint devices are to be found in Bernier U.S. Pat. No. 3,094,354 issued June 18, 1963, in Ruda U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,366 issued Oct. 28, 1980, in Hassel U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,216 issued Sept. 10, 1985, and, in Dorto U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,229 issued June 7, 1988.
Each of these prior patents teaches a restraint device incorporated into the back of an automobile seat, and which can be hinged downwardly for it to extend out of the seat back.
However, in each instance, no provision is made for the accommodation of children of different weights and sizes. Thus, the child restraints of the prior art are only of utility in providing a restraint for either an infant, but not a small child, or, a small child but not an infant, or, a child of a specific size and weight.